Feed-water regulator.



M. BLKOFER. FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAR. 11 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN ELKOFER, 0F LEIIPZIG, GERMANY.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

Application filed January 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN ELKOFER, a subject of the King of Prussia, residing at Leipzig, in Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed- WVater Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feed-water regulators of the class wherein a weighted feedvalve is controlled by a float in a water chamber which is charged and emptied according to the water level in the boiler.

The object of the invention is to accelerate the feed-action on fall of water-level.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section, showing the controlling apparatus in conjunction with the boiler, the feed-valve being closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the feed-valve open. Fig. 3 is a plan-view of the valveactuating lever. Fig. 4 shows a modification of the feed-valve casing on a larger scale.

In the drawing, a represents an open vessel or cup, which forms the float and is vertically movable in one leg of the U-shaped float chamber 6. The cup a is joined by a short rod 0 to a lever-arm (Z fixed to a spindle 6 (Fig. To the latter are also fixed lever-arms f and 2', the lever arm f being connected to the rod 9 of the feed-valve h. The arm 2'- is connected to a weight 70 movable in the other leg of the U-shaped chamber 79. The parts (Z, 7'", 2' may thus be regarded as a double-armed lever fulcrumed at c,

and having one arm weighted by the cup (1 and the other arm weighted by the weight k, the latter arm being connected to the feed Valve. The arms cl, 7", i are made in one piece with the spindle e.

A pipe 1% branching from the upper part of the leg containing the cup at terminates in the boiler at the average water-1evel. The floor Z of the float chamber, between the interior of the latter and the outlet chamber of the feed-valve casing 2, has a hole m controlled by a valve 0 on the valve-rod g.

When the water-level in the boiler m is normal the pipe at and float chamber 6 are filled with water, and the movable parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the feedvalve it being closed by the pressure exerted by the weight k. When the water-level falls so that steam can enter the pipe n the chamber b is rapidly emptied or partly emptied Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 601,995.

of water through the hole m, and the cup a, which remains filled with water but is no longer buoyed up by water in the chamber 6, overpowers the weight 7c and opens the valve h, the hole m being at the same time closed by the valve 0 (Fig. 2). The boiler is fed, and the flow of steam from the floatchamber 6 to the feed conduit 3 is prevented by the valve 0. \Vhen the lower orifice of the pipe 01 has been sealed again, the steam in the float chamber condenses, and water flows to said chamber from the feed-valve chamber through a pipe 7) containing an anti-return valve 1. The float chamber is, therefore, not dependent on the pipe n for re-filling, as in previously designed feedwater regulators of this type. The provision of the pipe 7) accelerates the filling of the float-chamber, by afl'ording direct flow from the feed-valve to said chamber, and also by supplying cold or comparatively cold water, which accelerates condensation of the steam in the float chamber and causes a vacuum to accelerate the flow. Moreover, the rise from the feed-valve to the float chamber is much less than from the boiler to said chamber. Instead of providing a pipe 17, the floor of the float chamber may be provided with a hole controlled by an anti-return valve, as shown at Z 8, r in Fig. 4. The feed-valve is of course closed again by the weight 70, when the cup a is floated by the water entering the float chamber.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a feed-water regulator the combination of a feed-conduit, a feed-valve, float mechanism controlling said feed-valve, said float mechanism comprising a float chamber having a discharge orifice leading to said feed-conduit, and a second valve operative in conjunction with the feed-valve so that said second valve closes said discharge-orifice when the feed valve is opened.

2. In a feed-water regulator the combination of a feed-conduit, a feed-valve having a rod, a feed-valve casing communicating with said feed-conduit, float mechanism controlling said feed-valve and comprising a floatchamber having a discharge-orifice which leads into said casing and through which said Valve rod extends into said float chamber, and a second valve on said rod positioned to close said discharge orifice when the feed valve is open.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

MARTIN ELKOFER.

3. In a feed-Water regulator the combination of a feed-valve, a feed-conduit, floatmechanism controlling said feed-valve, said float-mechanism comprising a float-chamber having an inlet orifice and a discharge orifice leading to said feed-conduit, an antireturn valve permitting flow of Water from said feed-conduit through said inlet orifice, and a valve operative in conjunction With Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FRIGKE, ALBERT R. MORAWETZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

